The cottage confession
by stevieLUVSAlex
Summary: Taken from the last episode of season 5. Instead of Sandra turning up at the cottage, Stevie finds Alex inside. Alone and drunk. ONE SHOT. S&A shipping.
**A/N: I always blamed Sandra for wrecking the cottage. If she hadn't, Alex never would have run off to the city, and Stevie would have confessed her feelings for him (as sappy as that sounds). Taken from the end of the episode 'New beginnings' in season 5.**

 **Enjoy. xxx**

"Alex..." Stevie called out, her heart hammering in her chest.

She had checked every possible building and site this side of Gungellan and still hadn't found Alex. She figured that the old shed Harry was doing up for Harrison might be the one place he could go to get away. Once she saw his Ute parked out front, she was warmed with hope.

"Alex..." she called, louder this time as she reached the door to the old cottage. Stevie heard the faint sound of a deep grumble. No doubt, Alex.

Inside, she found him in a room on the left. His feet propped up on some old wooden barrel. A bottle of rum in hand. She took a deep breath and approached him. "Alex, I've been lookin' everywhere for you."

"You found me," he said coolly.

She didn't blame him for his ice cold attitude. "I wanted to talk to you," she stepped to the right so that she was looking at him head on.

"Now you wanna talk," he slurred.

Stevie sighed. If only he could understand why she had panicked. But then, that's why she had come. To confess. The comment from Tess about wasting time forced her to be brave. "I was an idiot. I was avoiding you."

He looked up, his eyes locking with hers.

This man, her best friend, even drunk and vulnerable made her feel like she was drowning in a sea of emotions. Alex Ryan. She had known him for years, too many to count. How had she suddenly come to realise that her whole life had been about him, since the moment they met at a rodeo. No man had ever compared, and it had taken Kane quicker to realise it than it had taken her.

"I know," he stated. "I guess my troubles with Harry are just too much for you, eh?"

"No," she denied, shaking her head. "That's not why. I care about that, Alex. I care about YOU."

"Funny way of showin' it, mate," he scoffed.

Stevie squatted on the ground, her eyes now level with his. "Please, Alex... I'm sorry. Don't shut me out. I'm here. I'm listening. I just- I had some things on my mind. I do care, ok."

Alex looked away. "Yeah, right. Pull up a seat."

Stevie let her feet fall out from underneath her and crossed her legs as she sat on the hard ground of the cottage floors that needed fixing. Forget the sharpness of whatever it was she was sitting on. She didn't care. Not right now.

She listened as Alex explained the blue he had had with Harry. The miserable old fart. If he was drowning in the middle of a creek, she wouldn't swim out to save him, except for the sake of Alex. Stevie would do anything for him.

"I'm sorry," Stevie said, placing a hand on his knee, as he finished his story. "Harry's just a- a jerk."

Alex plonked his feet down from the wooden barrel and slid down to the floor, an equal match to Stevie in eye level. For a moment they just stared at each other.

"So... what's your problem?"

Here goes, she thought.

"The thing is..." Quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid. "I reckon I might be in love with you."

Alex smiled. "Right."

Stevie didn't smile.

"Come on, what's the issue really?"

She met his gaze and held it. She let her emotions float to the surface, giving him every feeling she felt about him with one simple look. The desire burned deep within her, hoping that he got the point. This was NO joke.

"Oh."

"So..." she said nervously, rubbing her sweaty palms together. "What do you think about that?"

He stared at her for another moment. "I think I might be a little drunk."

Stevie smiled. "I reckon you might be."

"You really say you loved me?"

Stevie nodded. "I really did."

"Oh."

Oh? Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Stevie couldn't tell. His face didn't give much away. No doubt in his fragile state he was trying to work out just what was going on. Perhaps she should have waited until he was sober, but she was afraid that would give her an excuse to bail.

"Maybe we should sleep on it, eh?" she suggested. Maybe come morning, he might be in a clear state to respond the way she wanted him to, HOPED he would. Stevie staggered to her feet and made a move towards the door, but before she could reach it, Alex had her gathered in his arms.

Her breath caught. She was so close to him that she could smell a mixture of sweat, cologne and rum. Surprisingly, a good combination. Stevie swallowed as she forced herself to look into his eyes. He didn't look drunk anymore, as if her confession had sobered him.

"I reckon it took you long enough," he smiled, his hand playing with strands of her red curls.

Stevie's hand seemed to have a mind of its own, sweeping across his chin. All the while, her heart and head in sync for the first time as she realised without him having to say so, that he felt exactly the same way. "Alex..." she whispered, inaudibly.

"The first time I kissed you, I-"

Stevie couldn't wait anymore. She slipped her hand around the back of his neck and drew his face to hers. He responded instantaneously by kissing her back. And it was better than her dream, better than anything she could have possibly imagined. She moaned against him, feeling his body respond to hers. God, this felt good. Why the hell had she waited SO long?

Alex drew away only slightly, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Geez, when you know what you want, you really have no patience, do ya, cowgirl?"

Stevie laughed and shook her head. "No. Not when it comes to you. I have wasted too much time already. Alex, I..."

"I know, mate."

She nodded.

"I love you too."

The words reaching her heart gave her a feeling she had never experienced to this degree. A sense of belonging and she knew, without a doubt, that he was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Come what may.

"Since the moment you wiggled that bum in front of my face."

Stevie laughed. "How else was I supposed to get your attention?"

"You never needed to, Stevie."

She blushed and kissed him again.

And they lived happily ever after, growing old and raising their children on Drover's Run and Killarny.

THE END.

 **Hope you enjoyed that. Review if you would, I'd really appreciate it. No bribery, just think of it as your good deed for the day ;-)**


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